UK retail sales rise at steady pace in June

LONDON, England - British retail sales grew in June, boosted by purchases of clothes and shoes as warmer weather tempted shoppers onto the high street, a survey showed on Tuesday.

The British Retail Consortium said the total value of retail sales rose by an annual 2.9 percent in June, slightly slower than the 3.4 percent rise recorded in May but close to the average pace of growth so far this year.

Like-for-like sales, a measure favoured by company analysts which strips out changes in stores' floorspace, grew 1.4 percent last month after a 1.8 percent increase in May.

"This is another respectable performance by UK retailers," said David McCorquodale, head of retail at accountants KPMG, which sponsors the survey.

"Sales are moving in the right direction, albeit hard-earned and promotion driven," he added.

Sales of footwear were a major driver, as were clothing sales, helped by a warmer June this year than last.